Cologne for Teens
by Felix Webster
Summary: Cologne is offered the Magical Mushrooms that reduce age in exchange for her to release Shampoo from all 'Kisses'. Happosai has stolen the others which Nabiki had gathered. Warning chapter 5 uses stronger language.
1. Magic Mushrooms

A Ranma 1 / 2 Alternate Histories Company Presents:  
  
Cologne for Teens  
  
By Felix Webster ( Felix Warstar )  
[felix_webster@telus.net]  
  
Disclaimer: All original Ranma 1/2 Characters and Back story  
Copyright Rumiko Takahashi. This is written for fun and not for any  
profit so please don't sue as I'm a poor writer who one day hopes to  
write something original and become a so called professional writer.  
. . this is just practice.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
- Magic Mushrooms. . .Again -  
  
"Well, that was unexpected. . ." the young girl stated as she tried  
to readjust her short robes. The Blue robes barely covered all that  
was needed as it was never meant to be worn by someone as tall as the  
girl with the purple-blue hair was now.  
  
"It worked?" Ranma asked as he stood with his back towards the girl  
trying to be a gentleman about this.  
  
"Yes. . I would say it did," the girl replied as she looked down on  
her young body amazed. "And you say this is permanent?"  
  
"According to Ryouga you have to either eat another mushroom at the  
right length or grow up again," Ranma said calmly even though he was  
nervous. "Can I turn around yet?"  
  
"Of course, you didn't have to turn around in the first place,"  
Cologne chuckled softly. "I doubt you'll be calling me old ghoul any  
time soon."  
  
Ranma raised an eyebrow at the younger girl standing across form him  
as if the robe fit properly, "Nah, I guess I have ta call you kid now."  
  
"Oww," Ranma rubbed his head slightly as he grinned. "Haven't lose  
any skill though."  
  
"Yes and no, I'll have to train this body to prepare it for the more  
advanced techniques I know but it's in good shape," Cologne said  
smiling but she also looked confused. "Why so young?"  
  
"It's not that young, only thirteen centimeters long," Ranma  
replied. "Nabiki felt that if we made ya any older you'd might try ta  
marry me like Shampoo is."  
  
"The Tendo girl has made a small mistake then," Cologne's smile got  
larger. "I'm old enough to do the 'Kiss of Marriage' regardless of  
being in a thirteen year old body."  
  
"Well then I ain't going to fight you then," Ranma stated smugly.  
  
"But Child, you have beat me several times already," Cologne replied  
trying not to laugh at the boy's face dropping and his sudden need to  
reassure himself of where the door was.  
  
"Ya ain't serious!?" Ranma exclaimed as he started to inch back  
towards the door.  
"Calm yourself Ranma. I'm not going to push that issue right now,"  
Cologne said seriously. "I'm a little surprised you offered this to  
me though."  
  
"You remember the conditions," Ranma narrowed his eyes slightly.  
  
"Yes yes, I remember," Cologne replied almost in annoyance. "Making  
a deal with that Tendo girl is like making a deal with. . ."  
  
"You are ta release Shampoo from the 'Kiss of Marriage' and both  
'Kisses of Death' and ta stop attackin' Akane," Ranma reminded the  
girl cutting her off.  
  
"I'll inform Shampoo of it when she gets back. I surprised that you  
didn't demand that we go back to China too," Cologne walked over to a  
restaurant mirror to truly look over her body.  
  
"You going back ta China was a given, but I wouldn't push a decision  
on ya like that," Ranma looked away as Cologne lifted up the robe to  
check her new chest out.  
  
Cologne chuckled to herself as she watched Ranma in the reflection,  
for a part-time girl he was oftly shy of other girl's bodies even if  
he wasn't about his own, "Very kind of you, but you know that just  
because I tell Shampoo that the 'Kiss' is nullified does not mean she  
will stop."  
  
"Yeah, I know. How'd Nabiki put it? Shampoo will have ta do it the  
regular way now," Ranma said as he thought hard on the former  
conversation. "It's part of the contract."  
  
"Yes it was. Shampoo will have to try to get you to date her like  
any other girl," Cologne agreed as she tried straightening the robe  
again. "To that end she will probably have to go to the school as a  
student now."  
  
"Oh great," Ranma cringed.  
  
"If you will excuse me Ranma, I have to see about getting proper  
clothes," Cologne turned towards him and gave him an evil smirk as  
she lifted up the front of the robe showing him how short it was again.  
  
"Yeah, great," Ranma replied almost in a panic as he quickly left  
the restaurant.  
  
Cologne chuckled to herself as she removed the robe completely and  
walked up the stairs to raid her Great-Granddaughter's closet until  
she could get her own, "I always said that if I was three hundred  
years younger. . ."  
  
- - - -  
  
"Soooo, how'd it go Ranma?" Nabiki asked as soon as Ranma ran into  
the house. She smirked at the panicked look that Ranma currently held  
on his face.  
  
"Shampoo is of the hook for those 'Kisses'," Ranma replied quickly  
but didn't seem happy. "But we might have a new problem. . ."  
  
"We?" Nabiki leaned against the wall crossing her arms looking  
unimpressed with the boy.  
  
"You were wrong about the age thing. It don't matter what age she  
looks ta Amazon law just how old she really is," Ranma explained as  
he caught his breath after realizing no one had followed him.  
"So. . . Cologne gave you the Kiss of Marriage?" Nabiki asked wide  
eyed in disbelief. This could really complicate her current plans and  
she went through too much to find those damn mushrooms again.  
  
"No, not at this time, but she reminded me that I've beaten her a  
couple of times and she could if she wanted to," Ranma didn't cringe  
at that like Nabiki expected him to.  
  
"And they aren't leaving are they?" Nabiki asked although she  
expected that they wouldn't, it was a hope but she hadn't put much  
faith into it.  
  
"No," Ranma replied with a slight frown.  
  
"Who's not leaving?" Akane asked as she came in from the back yard.  
  
"It's not important Sis," Nabiki waved off Akane as she turned and  
headed for her room.  
  
"Ranma, did Nabiki rope you into another one of her schemes? How  
much do you owe her this time?" Akane asked as her anger started to  
rise because she was basically being ignored.  
  
"I don't owe her anything, she owes the Saotome family and she's  
trying ta repay that debt," Ranma said coldly as he turned to walk up  
to his room to get his work clothes. "I've got ta go help with the  
Dojo tonight."  
  
Akane watched stunned by Ranma's coldness to her then looked at the  
destroyed Dojo and both Fathers working on rebuilding it. It had just  
been repaired from the wedding fiasco and then she made the mistake  
of asking Ryouga to teach her how to do the chi ball attack. She  
found her focus but it wasn't a good thing, it was anger and it was  
uncontrollable. If Ranma hadn't been nearby she would have died when  
the roof collapsed from the walls being blown out. He had done the  
one thing he had never done before to her that day, he slapped her.  
The slap was to knock some sense into her for being stupid enough to  
try to develop a chi blast inside. She should have known better after  
seeing so many of them but she didn't believe she had enough chi to  
make more then a small ball more harmless then anything else. . she  
unfortunately tapped into her anger and frustration because it was  
taking so long to learn.  
  
Akane was shook out of her thoughts about the past by a shout from  
up stairs.  
  
"NABIKI!!!!!!!"  
  
"Ranma?" Akane bolted up the stairs as fast as she could and nearly  
dropped at the sight in front of her. Ranma stood in the hall wearing  
only his favorite red Chinese shirt, the pants to the set had fallen  
off because they didn't fit anymore, glaring at her older sister  
holding out an empty bowl of rice. Nabiki was looking as shocked as  
Akane was at seeing a yet again younger Ranma.  
  
"Why Nabiki? Why'd ya do it ta me?" Ranma asked looking panicked and  
betrayed at the same time.  
  
"I. . I didn't," Nabiki replied wide eyed at the younger boy. "I  
only got four mushrooms, I gave one to a friend to research, and the  
other two were locked away!"  
  
"Then how did this happen!?" Ranma pointed out to younger body.  
Although it wasn't too much younger then he was normally it was  
enough to cause problems.  
"How DID it happen?" Akane asked confused. "And what's with the  
mushrooms being back again? Did Ryouga find some more?"  
  
"I was hungry and there was a bowl of rice with a mushroom and  
several pickled carrots on it in my room. . I thought it was Pop's,"  
Ranma said feeling a little stupid.  
  
"Why are there mushrooms here again!" Akane asked again getting  
angry at being ignored, a small glow started around she clenched her  
fists.  
  
"AKANE! SOUL OF ICE! NOW!" Ranma yelled at her glaring sternly,  
Akane stepped back in shock and the glow went away immediately.  
  
"Sorry. . ." Akane replied shame faced as she calmed down. Akane  
hadn't even come close to learning the technique that Ranma decided  
to teach her after she developed her chi ball but being told to use  
it meant she was getting dangerously close to losing it and possibly  
hurting someone.  
  
"I'll check on the ones I have here and I'll call my friend about  
hers," Nabiki offered as she ducked back into her room for a moment,  
she came back out pale. "My safe has been rifled through and the  
mushrooms are gone!"  
  
"But who would want to do that?" Akane asked as she followed Nabiki  
and Ranma downstairs to the phone.  
  
"Someone that wanted either me, Pop, or my Mother thirteen years  
old," Ranma replied as Nabiki dialed her friend.  
  
After a moment of Nabiki talking to the person doing research she  
turned to the other two, "The one I gave to her has been stolen too."  
  
"So we either have to find the ones stolen or get some more," Akane  
said as if it wasn't a problem.  
  
"I took the only ones that were there and the man that lived near  
them said no more would grow for about a year," Nabiki looked very  
unhappy then a little scared. "And the person who stole them has two  
more. . and is willing to use them."  
  
"Only person I can think of is Happosai," Ranma said in an angry  
tone. "He'd love ta see my Mother as a teenager again."  
  
"Or have a few more years with you stuck living here before being  
able to go off to College," Nabiki added.  
  
"Nah, he'd hate ta lose the chest I have as a girl and I should be  
smaller now I'm younger," Ranma replied in disgust. "It has to be my  
Mother that was the target."  
  
"So we have to stop him from getting your Mother to eat one of those  
two mushrooms," Nabiki stated then turned back to her room. "I've got  
to make an inventory of what else he took and then I'll meet you two  
downstairs to start looking for him."  
  
"I'll go warn Mother," Ranma agreed as he hopped over the stairs  
railing.  
  
"I. . I guess I should warn Dad and Kasumi," Akane said to the empty  
hallway as she started down the stairs.  
  
"Oh Sweeto! Akane my dear how fortunate I've run into you!" a  
scratchy voice exclaimed from behind her as she walked into the  
living room. Turning to give the little pervert a piece of her mind  
she almost gagged on the mushroom going into her mouth before  
swallowing it. Happosai didn't bother sticking around to see the  
change as he could hear others coming, "See ya Akane!"  
  
Akane tried to support herself as she tried to get her breathing  
back to normal when Ranma caught her as she misjudged the distance to  
the door frame.  
  
"Careful Akane, Ya gotta take a moment to readjust to the size  
difference," Ranma said calmly as he helped the now younger girl to  
the couch, he was an old pro at this after all.  
  
"Why? Why'd he chose me to do this to?" Akane asked in disbelief  
shock as she sat down.  
  
"Don't know, have ta ask him after I beat his little head in. . if  
he can still talk," Ranma said in anger as he glared out the patio  
door.  
  
"Ranma! Akane! What happened!?!" Nabiki asked as she came down the  
stairs quickly.  
  
"He got Akane with one of the other mushrooms," Ranma said still  
angry.  
  
"I. . I can see that," Nabiki replied as she took in Akane's new  
look. . or she should say an old look come back. "Akane. . you look  
about. . I would guess twelve."  
  
"WHAT!?! I thought the mushroom where grown for thirteen!?!" Akane  
jumped up in panic and tried to get a look at herself.  
  
"Um. . we weren't sure what age we were gonna offer to Cologne,"  
Ranma said nervously. "Two were thirteen centimeters, one was eleven  
centimeters, and one was sixteen centimeters. . just incase something  
like this happened"  
  
"I gave the sixteen one to my friend to see if she could grow it,  
fungus tends to be able to do that," Nabiki added as she watched  
Akane suddenly click in one the list.  
  
"I'M ELEVEN AGAIN!?!" Akane screamed then sat down on the verge of  
crying. "Why? Why. . ?"  
  
"If we get the other one back you can have it. You'll be sixteen  
again and not a kid," Ranma said as he sat quietly.  
  
"But what about you? You need it too!" Akane spun on Ranma.  
  
"I can wait the year for the next mushrooms to grow. . you shouldn't  
have to," Ranma replied softly not looking at Akane.  
  
"It's a moot point until we get that mushroom back," Nabiki stated  
quickly as she saw a look of defiance in her sister's eyes.  
  
"I'm afraid that that isn't going to happen," a young woman's voice  
said from the entrance area.  
  
"M. Mom?" Ranma bolted upright staring at the older teen girl with  
the auburn hair wearing a kimono.  
"Yes Ranma, I had a small encounter with the old Master on the way  
back from shopping," Nodoka replied as she walked into the room. "I  
see I wasn't the only victim of his actions."  
  
- - - -  
  
Author's Notes: Just a weird idea that a friend suggested the other  
night. I needed to write something fresh to get my juices flowing for  
RTVS chapter 10 and Robin 1 / 2 chapter 4 (chapter 3 is with a pre  
reader at the time of this piece.   
  
The concept was Cologne becoming younger and a R+C fic. I didn't  
want there not to be conflict with this so Akane is younger and still  
holds a claim to Ranma but this is not for KotF out there. And of  
course a subplot is how does Genma and Nodoka deal with her becoming  
younger (only old enough to be thirteen year old Ranma's older sister  
and not his Mother).  
  
This will only get worked on occasionally as other stories are more  
important at the moment.  
  
+ If you haven't noticed I'm not so good at titles. . . 


	2. Choices, Decisions, and Cologne

A Ranma 1 / 2 Alternate Histories Company Presents:  
  
Cologne for Teens  
  
By: Felix Webster ( Felix Warstar )  
  
  
Disclaimer: All original Ranma ½ Characters and Back story is the  
1993 copyright of Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. and is a  
trademark of Viz Communications, Inc. This is written for fun and not  
for any profit so please don't sue as I'm a poor writer who one day  
hopes to write something original and become a so called professional  
writer. . . this just practice.  
  
Note: Not for the KotF out there as it is a R+C fic.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
[Draft copy]  
  
- Choices, Decisions and Cologne -  
  
Soun was once again crying and overreacting all around the  
livingroom as he did when any family crisis occurred, "Oh my little  
girl is a little girl again!"  
  
"Please calm down Father, it's not so bad after all. I think it's  
nice having her so young again," Kasumi smiled from behind her cup of  
tea.  
  
"Nice!?! NICE!?! How would you like to be suddenly too young to even  
be in High-school!?!" Akane screamed bolting up right from her place  
at the table. Kasumi had found her one of her old overalls that they  
hadn't given away but it showed a lot of wear in area like the knees.  
  
"Calm down Akane," Nabiki put a hand on the young girl's shoulder  
and pushed Akane back down until she sat down again. "Look on the  
bright side, at least Daddy can't push you into marrying Ranma for a  
few years."  
  
"A FEW YEARS!?!" Akane bolted up again and looked in a panic. "I  
thought you said you could get more mushrooms next year?"  
  
"Yes I did, but who knows what might go wrong then. You also just  
might want to grow up again by that time too," Nabiki replied calmly  
not bothering tho try to get Akane to sit this time. "Just think, no  
Kuno, no Kadachi. . . and no Hentai Horde."  
  
"No Kuno or Kodachi?" Akane looked very confused.  
  
"Kuno either won't recognize you or if he does can't actually try  
anything with you anymore or he'll goto jail," Nabiki gave the girl  
an evil grin. "People may ignore a cad trying to push himself on a  
girl around his own age but they wouldn't ignore him trying that with  
a kid."  
  
"Kodachi I don't believe will be interested in such a younger Ranma  
as it would not look good to her peers," Kasumi added still sipping  
tea.  
  
"What about the engagement!?!" Soun cried out grabbing two fistfuls  
of hair. "How are they to marry now!?!"  
  
"It's only a two year difference in age Daddy," Nabiki rolled her  
eyes at her Father's antics. "They can still be engaged they just  
can't marry for a while."  
  
"Yes, it gives them the time they have needed to know each other  
without the added pressure you keep pushing on them," Kasumi stated  
calmly still holding the quiet charm she always tried for.  
  
- - - -  
  
"I can't believe the old Master would do this!" Genma bellowed with  
the sound echoing off the recently rebuilt Dojo walls as he looked at  
his now teenage wife and younger son.  
  
"It's not hard to believe dear. That old. . man is a freak who  
enjoys causing trouble in other's lives," Nodoka replied in a nasty  
tone with her arms crossed.  
  
"You know I can't do anything about him! He's the old Master!" Genma  
said defensively looking at the missing ceiling instead of his wife.  
"Anyhow what were those mushrooms doing back in the first place?"  
  
"I told ya, me and Nabiki came up with a plan ta get Shampoo off my  
back," Ranma replied just as defensively. "How was I ta know Nabiki  
picked up more then we needed?"  
  
"You were planning on making Shampoo a child again? If you wanted to  
leave your girlfriend there are better ways," Nodoka gave her son an  
annoyed look.  
  
"It wasn't for Shampoo! It was for the old Ghoul!" Ranma protested  
quickly.  
  
"And this is Nabiki we are talking about, of course she's going to  
pick more then needed 'cause they could make her rich," Genma added  
his view of Ranma's mistake then grabbed his head as he realized  
another problem. "What are we going to do about the engagement!? With  
Ranma thirteen and Akane even younger how are they going to marry!?!"  
  
"That can be solved in a year according to Nabiki dear, but my  
problem can't be!" Nodoka stated calmly but her agitation of the  
situation was starting to show. "She said the biggest the mushrooms  
got before dying was twenty centimetres, so the most they could make  
would be twenty years old."  
  
"But Mom. . . ya get the have all the years ya spent without us back  
again," Ranma said surprising himself that there was a benefit to  
this.  
  
"That. . that would be nice dear, but even at age twenty how do I  
explain the fact I have a teenage son?" Nodoka asked her son then  
turned on her husband jumping up and shouting in his face. "And I  
might not want to spend them with this BEAR OF A MAN!"  
  
"Most woman would kill for this chance to have their youth back. .  
." Genma stated as he started moving away quickly then realized a  
mistake in his choice of words.  
  
"You're right dear, a death should be required for such a boon as  
this," Nodoka agreed in a low growling voice as she started to pull  
the katana out.  
  
"Yeah, but Happosai isn't here for that right now," Ranma said  
trying to get the focus off of his Father as it wasn't Genma's fault  
this time. "And it wouldn't have happened if I coulda found ya ta  
warn ya about the one he left in our room for ya first."  
  
"Ranma. . what makes you think it was meant for me?" Nodoka asked  
cocking an eyebrow at her son after glaring at her husband and  
sheathing the blade. "Happosai knows me better than to expect me to  
eat a mysterious bowl of rice left in a place like a bedroom. If  
anything it was meant for you or your Father, and Happosai would  
never waste something like that on your Father."  
  
"So. It. Was. Meant. For. Me!?!" Ranma said as his anger grew. It  
had been alright if this had been an accident and he had saved his  
Mother from one attempt by the old Freak, but that it was the  
intention of his to make Ranma like this made Ranma feel very stupid  
that he fell for it so easily. Ranma didn't like feeling stupid, it  
made him mad. . . Akane's level of mad.  
  
"Yes dear I believe so. Now how are we going to explain this to the  
school? Ranma and Akane have to start in just over a week," Nodoka  
asked ignoring the dark red energy starting to flow off of her son.  
  
- - - -  
  
"Great-Grandmother! Great-Grandmother!" Shampoo called out as she  
ran into the front of the Nekohanten.  
  
"In the kitchen child," responded a young woman's voice from the  
said place.  
  
Shampoo ran into the kitchen but stopped in shock seeing only Mousse  
and a very familiar looking Amazon girl wearing one of Shampoo's  
Chinese pantsuits that was too small for the girl, "Where Great-  
Grandmother!?"  
  
"I'm right here child," the younger girl stated calmly. "I hope you  
don't might me borrowing your white pantsuit as it's one you rarely  
wear."  
  
"Who you?" Shampoo asked confused not fully understanding why the  
lavender haired girl answered for her Great-Grandmother.  
  
"Shampoo, child, I am Ku Lon your Great-Grandmother and Elder,"  
Cologne replied starting to get annoyed as she approached the older  
looking girl. "I have had my physical age reduced by magic today."  
  
"HI YA!! Not Great-Grandmother too!" Shampoo exclaimed loudly with  
fear in her eyes.  
  
"What do you me 'not me too'? Explain yourself child," Cologne moved  
to the girl and gave her a serious look.  
  
"Shampoo was going to see Airen but. .but he and angry girl are very  
young now!. . . like you," Shampoo replied quickly.  
  
"Stay here child, I have to see to this!" Cologne ordered as she  
left the restaurant quickly.  
  
"Great-Grandmother no fit in Shampoo's clothes," Shampoo said in  
disbelief as she watched the girl leave blinking several times.  
  
"She isn't as well built as you are my love," Mousse replied to the  
cooking pot to the left of Shampoo.  
  
"Shut up Mousse!" Shampoo put his head into the same pot before  
walking out the kitchen nose in the air.  
  
"What?" Mousse asked in confusion as he pulled his face out of the  
pot. "She's only thirteen and your near seventeen, of course your  
better built!"  
  
"MOUSSE!!!!" Shampoo screamed for the other room in anger. "SHUT  
UP!!!!"  
  
- - - -  
  
Everyone was sitting around the low dinner table again trying to  
make the decisions that had to be made now that several people in the  
house were now effected in a serious manner. Kasumi has put out fresh  
tea for everyone and was waiting for some more hot water as Ranma-  
chan had a fight with her Father which ended with her in the pond yet  
again.  
  
"So it's decided then, Ranma and Akane stay engaged. The wedding  
will happen either when this is solved or they are old enough again  
to make it legal," Nodoka explained what the main discussion was  
about. She gave a Nabiki nasty look when she mentioned age.  
  
"What about school?" Akane asked fretting as she had the most to  
lose in this way. "How am I going to go this year looking like a kid?"  
  
"We'll deal with the school tomorrow as it was too late to contact  
anyone tonight," Nabiki replied looking unhappy. "But I can guess  
what palm tree head will do."  
  
"So can I," Ranma-chan agreed looking very depressed as she sat  
there in a shirt large enough to wear as a short dress. Even at  
thirteen she was big breasted but that wasn't saying there was a lot  
there, just more then the average thirteen year old. She looked over  
at her Mother and new her problem with her chest came from that side  
of the family. Her Mother said she had to grow into her breasts and  
it looked like she had to again.  
  
"Sorry to interrupt," a young woman's voice said from the yard as a  
young teenager about Ranma-chan's height came to the sliding doors on  
the porch wearing a white Chinese pantsuit with blue edging and  
designs. "Shampoo told me that there was a problem."  
  
"Hey Cologne," Ranma-chan said with a sad smile. "Ya ain't the only  
one who ate a mushroom today."  
  
"I can see that," Cologne replied taking the red-head's greeting as  
an invitation to come in. "Mrs. Saotome I see you got the better of  
the choices."  
  
"Please call me Nodoka, the least I'm reminded that I'm married  
right now the better," Nodoka smiled at Cologne after glaring at  
Genma.  
  
"I see the mushroom has done you well," Nabiki smirk slightly at the  
sight of her handiwork, the only one she had a hand in. "You look  
almost like when you did when we went through that mirror. . . just  
smaller and not as busty."  
  
"I had a growth spurt when I was seventeen," Cologne replied giving  
Nabiki a nasty look. "I was a little touchy about my height until  
then."  
  
"Won't mention it again," Nabiki sipped her tea not wanting Cologne  
as an enemy at the moment.  
  
"I think this would be best left to the women, Tendo," Genma got up  
nervously as he didn't want to be around Cologne when talk about the  
old Master started.  
  
"I believe it would," Soun agreed as he stood up himself and both  
left the room quickly.  
  
"So, what happened?" Cologne asked the group after finishing her  
withering gaze at the two cowards retreating forms.  
  
"Happosai," Akane replied through gritted teeth.  
  
"That explains everything," Cologne gave the child a sad smile.  
  
- - - -  
  
So, I will accompany you to the school tomorrow to deal with this. I  
have to enroll as it is and Furinkin is doing all the local schools  
enrollments this term," Cologne said as she sat next to Ranma-chan on  
the other side from Akane sipping the tea Kasumi gave her. "It is  
either enrollment or dealing with the new truancy officers that  
Principal Kuno has hired every time I wish to go out during the day."  
  
"You'll be a great help if Pineapple brain tries anything crazy,"  
Ranma-chan agreed, she was a little annoyed that the hot water for  
her change was use to refill the tea instead of on her but she wasn't  
going to complain tonight. . . it would too dangerous with all the  
angry women in the room to demand to be male again.  
  
"Then I think we should go shopping right after as the clothes we  
have will not do," Cologne pulled at the loose white top of the  
pantsuit she borrowed.  
  
"We're a little strapped for cash right now, we have to rebuild the  
Dojo yet again," Nabiki pointed to the direction of where the  
roofless outer building was giving Akane an annoyed look.  
  
"I said I was sorry!" Akane shot to her feet.  
  
"Sorry isn't money, sorry isn't a new Dojo," Nabiki replied in a  
snarl.  
  
Akane tried to say something, she then tried to shout something but  
all that came out were a couple of tears. She bolted out of the room  
crying a full stream. When Ranma-chan tried to follow Kasumi grabbed  
her arm to drop her, "Let her cry herself out. She's needed this for  
a long time to help drain the frustration away."  
  
"Lucky her," Ranma-chan said under her breath as she sat down again.  
Ranma-chan knew Kasumi was talking about more frustration then just  
the situation with the mushrooms.  
  
"Money for the new wardrobes isn't a problem, I'll help to that  
end," Cologne offered getting back to the matters at hand.  
  
"You shouldn't trouble yourself," Nodoka replied with polite smile.  
  
"The trouble is mine though," Cologne smiled back, but the smile  
held a lot of tension in it. "The mushrooms were brought here for my  
benefit. . . and I should have killed Happosai years ago so he's  
somewhat my fault too."  
  
"Hey I won't pass up a new wardrobe," Nabiki grinned. "I have to  
think about college next year after all."  
  
"I'll cover for only those affected by the mushrooms," Cologne  
clarified giving Nabiki a nasty grin, "and for Kasumi Tendo since she  
could use a new wardrobe more then most."  
  
"Hey!" Nabiki exclaimed in a pout to which she received a stuck out  
tongue from Cologne. "Maybe I won't be as much help tomorrow then."  
  
"As you wish," Cologne grinned. "You've been more then enough help  
already. . . hasn't she, Airen?"  
  
"Yeah she has. . . NOW WAIT A MINUTE!?!" Ranma-chan nearly jumped  
twenty feet when she realized what was said. "I AIN'T YOUR AIREN!!"  
  
"I'm just kidding," Cologne chuckled, then added quietly to herself.  
"For the time being."  
  
"Don't do that!" Ranma-chan sat down eyeing Cologne carefully as  
others at the table started chuckling too taking it as the joke  
Cologne claimed it to be.  
  
"Why does it bother you so much?" Cologne asked suddenly looking  
very confused.  
  
"It means I have no choice in things! I want to make my own choices  
for a change! But I've never been given the chance!" Ranma-chan  
glared at her Father's empty position at the table. "Trainin' that  
causes me ta go nuts! Leavin' friends behind when I didn't havta  
'cause no one explained what the choices meant! And then there are  
the Fiances I'm not told about until the last possible moment!"  
  
"Heck even when given a choice between girls here it's taken away  
from me by the girls themselves!" Ranma-chan turned his glare towards  
Nabiki as she couldn't bring herself to glare at Kasumi, but only  
just barely not able.  
  
"F.Fine then! I d.d.din't want it like that either!" Akane's voice  
came from behind the group cracking and sniffling from the hard  
crying she had been doing. As Ranma-chan turned all she saw was the  
retreating form of Akane who ran back up stairs crying again.  
  
"Great, the famous Saotome mouth strikes again," Ranma-chan muttered  
under her breath with her head down.  
  
"You were bound to say it sooner or later child, at least this way  
she can cry it all out in one day," Cologne patted Ranma-chan on the  
back. "Although her reaction is rather alien to her. . ."  
  
"Mother always told us that big girls didn't cry. . . I think the  
change has caused a problem with that idea," Kasumi explained calmly  
as she poured Cologne more tea.  
  
"And since she isn't a big girl anymore she doesn't have to stop the  
tears," Cologne finished nodding.  
  
"And it is about time too as she has been focussing her sadness into  
her temper for too long," Kasumi looked grim about the past.  
  
"What? So no more malleting?" Ranma-chan asked looking between the  
group at the table and the exit towards upstairs.  
  
"You almost sound disappointed," Nabiki smirked.  
  
"No, I'd say my son is trying to decide which hurts more, Akane  
malleting him or seeing her in tears," Nodoka replied but Ranma-chan  
ignored both of them.  
  
"Well I'll let you deal with this as I should get back and explain  
things to my Great-Granddaughter before she does something rash,"  
Cologne stood then kissed the top of Ranma-chan's head before running  
out the door to the yard as everyone but Nodoka dropped from shock.  
"They're too much fun."  
  
"Oh how manly, Ranma has picked up another girlfriend," Nokoda  
stated trying to hide her giggling behind her tea cup.  
  
- - - -  
  
Cologne ran into the Nekohanten in a panic as there was thick black  
smoke coming from every window. The first thing she found was a tied  
up duck in the main restaurant room trying desperately to get loose.  
She snapped the chain holding Mousse and carried him into the kitchen  
area where the smoke was thickest, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING CHILD!?!"  
  
"Shampoo find cure for Airen! No want child for husband!" Shampoo  
said between coughs. She was standing next to a large ancient tome  
opened on the table and a big cooking pot with the thick smoke coming  
out in rope like black tendrils.  
  
"That book will not find you a cure, unless you are trying to make  
Ranma die of old age!" Cologne stated firmly as she put a lid on the  
pot and closed the tome. "And thirteen is not a kid!"  
  
"But. . but. . ." Shampoo tried to argue but a glare from Cologne  
stopped her.  
  
"Something else you should know, All the 'Kisses' you've given have  
been annulled completely," Cologne said in a low angry tone. "I'd  
send you home right now but you still need a husband so you don't  
shame the tribe or this family any worse than you have."  
  
"But. . but what about Shampoo and Ranma!?!" Shampoo asked in panic  
mode.  
  
"If you still want Ranma you'll have to try to get him the same way  
the rest of us has to now," Cologne replied still annoyed as she  
started to clean up the mess. "Of course he is too young for you now."  
  
"You mean get Ranma's Father to engage Shampoo to Ranma?" Shampoo  
blinked several times. "Already tried that but Ranma's Mother stop  
idea."  
  
Cologne face faulted then started to swear heavily as she finished  
the clean up. "Get Mousse changed back, we have to deal with the  
dinner crowd soon."  
  
- - - -  
  
Author's Notes: This is just the draft copy as someone is proofing  
it as I write this, I'm puting it out for those to enjoy while the  
edited version is being worked on. Real AN will come with the final  
version. 


	3. Shopping for Teens

A Ranma 1 / 2 Alternate Histories Company Presents:  
  
Cologne for Teens  
  
By: Felix Webster ( Felix Warstar )  
  
  
Disclaimer: All original Ranma ½ Characters and Back story is the  
copyright of Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. and is a trademark of  
Viz Communications, Inc.   
Nadia : Secret of Blue Water is the copyright of Toho / NHK /  
Sogovision (and licensed in the USA by A.D.Vision). This is written  
for fun and not for any profit so please don't sue as I'm a poor  
writer who one day hopes to write something original and become a so  
called professional writer. . . this just practice.  
  
Note: Not for the KotF out there as it is a R+C fic.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
[Draft Copy]  
  
- Shopping for Teens -  
  
"I can't believe it!" Ranma yelled in frustation as he walked away  
from the school with the group of girls. "It's like the universe was  
expectin' this!"  
  
"I should not have gone," Nodoka said shaking her lowered head in  
disbelief as she reached the school gates.  
  
"You shouldn't have gone!?! I'm stuck back in Junior High School!"  
Akane nearly screamed as she stormed past. "Unlike Ranma I have good  
grades! You'd think that a person with her problem would have  
understood! But noooo, she had to agree with Palm tree head!"  
  
"Maybe because you acted like a two year old when you lost your  
temper at her," Nabiki replied daring Akane to answer that with a  
look. Akane kept her mouth shut.  
  
"Hey, none of us were expecting Miss Hinako to be the new Principal  
of the Junior High School," Nabiki reminded the group. "I had planned  
on dealing with Principal Kuno not the Paedophile's Dream She Beast  
From Hell. The only one who came out ahead was Cologne!"  
  
"I was simply enrolling," Cologne replied trying to look innocent.  
"At least you'll have a familiar face with you in class with you  
Ranma."  
  
"But I'm a grade lower then Ranma!" Akane protested in anger.  
  
"I was trying for at least first year in Furinkin," Ranma grumbled.  
  
"Maybe if your grades had been better they might have agreed,"  
Nodoka scolded as they started on their way down the nearby street.  
  
"Well we'll get ta see if ya can do better Mom," Ranma replied  
almost venomously. "Or should I say Sis?"  
  
"I was embarrassed at the idea of what people would think of me  
knowing I had a teenage son at only sixteen," Nodoka blushed  
nervously.  
  
"What, Besides the fact that it's impossible regardless what those  
sick perverts like to draw?" Nabiki smirked.  
  
"And what should I have told them?" Nodoka asked sarcastically. "The  
truth?"  
  
"Yes," Nabiki replied seriously as they entered the market area.  
"Miss Hinako was trained by Happosai after all."  
  
"That explains a lot," Cologne said with her own smirk.  
  
"Look at it this way people, you all are going to be the top of your  
classes without any effort. You'll get to kick back for awhile and  
have fun while other students struggle to keep up," Nabiki almost  
looked envious. "Heck even Ranma will do great this year since it's  
stuff he actually knows!"  
  
"You mean more excuses for him to sleep in class," Kasumi corrected  
as she lead Akane along with an arm around her shoulder comforting  
her from Nabiki's earlier jibs.  
  
"I don't sleep in class out of choice! People keep waking me up all  
night long, then Pop always wants to train early!" Ranma protested.  
  
"I believe clothes was next on the agenda," Cologne changed the  
subject as they stopped outside a nice women's store.  
  
- - - -   
  
"Well it does look nice on you Akane, but. . . do you really want a  
foreign girl's picture on your clothes?' Nodoka asked a little  
concerned sitting at the table near the change booths where parents  
could have tea while their children tried on clothes.  
  
"It's Nadia! She's a cool acrobatic fighting girl," Akane beemed as  
she looked at the shirt in the mirror with the matching skirt. "I've  
wanted stuff with her on it since I saw her. . . I was just too  
embarrassed to wear it 'cause it was kid stuff."  
  
"And now you're a kid," Nabiki smirked evily at Akane's hurt face.  
She was feelin a little vindictive at the moment since it turned out  
Cologne hadn't been joking about buying for everyone but her. She  
almost felt bad about the comment seeing her little sister start to  
screw up her face to start crying. Almost, but not quite.  
  
"Nabiki, act your age," Nodoka scolded giving the girl a nasty look.  
  
A few minutes later as Akane was trying on another outfit Cologne  
dragged Ranma-chan to the other girls. Ranma-chan was less then happy  
to be anywhere near a woman's clothing store and Cologne wasn't  
making things any better.  
  
"My, that looks. . . less then manly," Nodoka said looking at her  
son. . daughter over. "But it is nice."  
  
Ranma-chan looked down at her outfit out of reflex even though she  
knew what she looked like already. The soft blue overalls were cut in  
what the saleslady called capri style so they only came down to mid  
calf. A soft red, almost pink, t-shirt with the character for wild on  
it in black that was a little tight but obviously cut for her chest  
size was tucked into the overalls. The soft kung-fu shoes she had on  
were the same shade of red as the shirt, the colour bothered her a  
bit but liked the knowledge that she could get other colours then  
just black. . . even if she had to buy them in a woman's store. She'd  
seen a deep blue and a fiery red set that both would look great with  
her silks.  
  
"Ranma only needs a little nudge from time to time, he has great  
fashion sense for a man," Cologne smiled showing off her twin set in  
the reverse order of colours with the character for fun on her shirt.  
  
"When she isn't trying too hard to look like a stereo type," Akane  
added as she came out of the change booth wearing jeans that came  
only to the knees and a baseball t-shirt of the Tigers. "Then she  
looks either like a tramp or like Azusa."  
  
"That wasn't my idea," Ranma-chan complained fingering her pony-tail  
as Cologne also talked her into untying her pig-tail. She looked very  
nervous.  
  
"She's just worried that you are going to demand her head for  
wearing any outfit a normal girl would choose," Cologne explained to  
Nodoka as she sat down at the small tea table and poured herself a  
cup.  
  
"I declared Ranma manly months ago. I could hardly do otherwise what  
with all his girlfriends," Nodoka replied with a smirk. "But I guess  
I should find her a nice boy to increase the chances of  
grandchildren. That Hibiki boy seemed nice. . ."  
  
"I am not dating Ryouga!!" Ranma-chan looked shocked.  
  
"At least not again, right Ranma?" Akane said with an evil smirk.  
  
"That's right! Not again. . . That's not what I meant!" Ranma-chan  
agreed then realized the trap she tripped into a little too late as  
the other started giggling.  
  
"Uhm. . . I don't think this fits right Ms. Cologne. . ." Kasumi  
said nevouslyas she walked up behind Ranma-chan causing everyone but  
Cologne to gasp. Ranma-chan turned and her eyes widened in shock,  
Kasumi was wearing a soft cream and jade edged Chinese pantsuit that  
proved she hadn't neglected her figure in the past few years.  
  
"It fits perfectly," Cologne waved Kasumi's concern off while  
sipping her tea and trying not to smile. "And it is a requirement for  
your new posistion at the Nekohanten."  
  
"And just what is that position?" Nabiki cocked an eyebrow as she  
hadn't heard word one about this.  
  
"She'll be running the restaurant while I'm in school," Cologne  
replied smiling. "I neither trust Shampoo nor Mr. Parttime to work  
effectively together while I'm away so I need a level head there."  
  
"And she can use the money to pay for College afterwards," Nodoka  
added showing she had a part in this.  
  
"And of course to help out the household too Aunty," Kasumi smiled  
then looked at the pantsuit again. "But are you truly sure this isn't  
improper?"  
  
"It'll draw crowds," Cologne chuckled then looked at Ranma-chan.  
"There's always an after school position open for you too Ranma."  
  
"Not after last time," Ranma-chan cringed.  
  
"That was to teach you a lesson," Cologne smirked then shook her  
head slightly. "A much oft ignored lesson unfortunately."  
  
"Hey! I learned the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" Ranma-chan protested.  
  
"The lesson was not to mess with a Chinese Amazon Elder," Cologne  
corrected. "How was I to know that this boy had the heart of an  
Amazon woman?"  
  
"Hey! I'm a guy!" Ranma-chan protested again louder.  
  
"How about a little louder next time, Ranma, I don't think the  
people in the next store heard you that time," Nabiki said  
sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.  
  
"I'm sure Cologne meant that as a compliment dear," Nodoka smiled  
comfortingly. "Even if it is an odd one."  
  
"It was," Cologne confirmed. "If I thought anything but the best  
about you and your skills I would never have taught you Amazon  
secrets."  
  
"Um. . thanks, but I'm still a guy," Ranma-chan replied trying to  
ignore the clothes she was wearing at the moment. The others started  
laughing for a few minutes.  
  
- - - -  
  
"I can't believe we bought so much!" Akane stated as she held up her  
six bags of clothes.  
  
"Oh yeah rub it in why don't you," Nabiki nearly snarled then smiled  
evilly. "I can't believe how much of a clothes horse Ranma is."  
  
"Hey! I had to buy for two forms," Ranma complained trying to keep  
all twelve bags balanced. "Not that I wanted too! Cologne just  
wouldn't buy me guy clothes with me getting girl clothes first."  
  
"But you looked so cute in that outfit that we just had to get you  
some more," Nodoka smiled carrying her own bags. "How do you expect  
to attract a boy without the proper clothes?"  
  
"The same way she always does, by flaunting her body barely  
dressed," Akane replied evilly as she skipped down the street towards  
home then stopped when she realized what she was doing and started to  
walk normally.  
  
"I DON'T WANT TO ATTRACT ANY BOYS!!!" Ranma-chan screamed drawing  
the attention of others on the streets.  
  
  
"No, of course not dear," Nodoka agreed in a parental patronizing  
tone then leaned close to Kasumi and Cologne. "They tend to be that  
way at her age."  
  
"Some just don't seem to be able to grow out of it," Kasumi nodded  
slightly towards Akane.  
  
"Oh! I forgot something! I'll catch up with you back at home,"  
Nodoka said suddenly before turning and walking back the way they had  
come disappearing quickly.  
  
"Excuse me, Kasumi Tendo, I do not mean to intrude on you and your  
friends," Kuno said as he approached the group after spying both  
Kasumi and Nabiki. At first he thought he had also seen his two  
loves, Akane and the pig-tailed goddess, but as he came closer he  
realized these two were too young to be them. . . maybe younger  
Cousins of his loves destined to be as lovely one day. "But would you  
happen to know. . ."  
  
"Oh look it's Kuno-baby," Nabiki said sarcastically crossing her  
arms as Ranma-chan and Akane cringed.  
  
"I was not speaking to you Nabiki Tendo, I was asking your sweet  
sister where my two loves are as I was told that they travelled with  
her today," Kuno stated arrogantly.  
  
Kasumi was glad she wasn't wearing the Chinese pantsuit with this. .  
person around, all they needed was him chasing another member of the  
household. Smiling she gave a blank look before replying, "I really  
don't know. . . I haven't seen 'your two loves' since yesterday. I  
think they went with Ranma looking for a special mushroom. Yes, I'm  
sure you won't see them again until they find the mushroom they are  
looking for."  
  
"Alas no! The evil fiend is again trying to weave his spell of  
enslavement over my loves! This mushroom must be some fiendish  
ingredient to a potion of domination to subvert my goddesses from  
their true love!" Kuno ranted beseeching heaven no less then three  
times with motions. Grasping Kasumi's hands he pleaded, "Oh sweet  
woman I beseech you, tell me wher they travel so I can save them from  
Ranma's evil?"  
  
"I think I heard something about Brazil," Ranma-chan offered with an  
innocent look. "Or was it Siberia?"  
  
"Oh thank you cherub of loveliness! Were you older you'd rival my  
pig-tailed goddess in beauty!" Kuno quickly grasped Ranma-chan's  
hands and kissed her forehead. . . then went flying when Ranma-chan  
kicked him into near orbit.  
  
"Damn! Not as strong as I use to be!" Ranma-chan cursed as she  
watched Kuno's trajectory.  
  
"Watch you language dear, that wasn't very lady like," Nodoka  
scolded as she rejoined the group and watched Kuno hit the descending  
point of his arc.  
  
"I ain't a lady!" Ranma-chan protested out of reflex.  
  
"You needn't have worried, Ranma can attract boys even without the  
extra help," Kasumi commented to Nodoka causing some giggling.  
  
"The only thing that can't attract Kuno is Nabiki," Ranma-chan  
stated in annoyance.  
  
"Hey! I don't want him either!" Nabiki turned in shock only to  
receive an extended tongue from Ranma-chan cauding the giggling to  
turn to laughter.  
  
- - - -  
  
Author's Notes: This is just the draft copy as someone is proofing  
it as I write this, I'm puting it out for those to enjoy while the  
edited version is being worked on. Real AN will come with the final  
version. 


	4. School for the Mentally Insane

A Ranma 1 / 2 Alternate Histories Company Presents:  
  
Cologne for Teens  
  
By Felix Webster ( Felix Warstar )  
[felix_webster@telus.net]  
  
Disclaimer: All original Ranma ½ Characters and Back story Copyright  
Rumiko Takahashi. This is written for fun and not for any profit so  
please don't sue as I'm a poor writer who one day hopes to write  
something original and become a so-called professional writer. . .  
this is just practice.  
  
Chapter 4  
  
- School for the Mentally Insane -  
  
"Kasumi? Have you seen my scarf?" Akane asked almost in a panic as  
she ran into the livingroom wearing the black and white sailor school  
uniform with the green edging that looked a little short on her.  
  
"I was just sewing your name into it," Kasumi smiled as she handed  
the white and green scarf to Akane who flipped it over to read 'Akane  
Tendo of the Tendo School of Anything Goes Martial Arts' with the  
address and phone number stitched in a very nice lettering.  
  
"Thanks Kasumi," Akane hugged her older sister then took her seat at  
the table to start eating. She looked around confused, "Where's  
everyone else?"  
  
- - - -  
  
"Are you absolutely sure about this?" Genma asked his young wife as  
they sat in the Dojo. He was thankful they had gotten the roof  
finished during the week as it was lightly raining outside. . . now  
they just had to deal with the leaks.  
  
"I am positive," Nodoka replied as she signed her name to the papers  
in front of her. "I do not need the added problems of being a married  
High School student, at least not to someone old enough to be my own  
Father. . . it wouldn't look proper."  
  
"But. . . this could lead to complications," Genma protested looking  
very concerned at his wife who was wearing the standard Furinkin  
jumper.  
  
"Do not worry yourself, you will not be taken off the Saotome family  
register as you have helped produce a male heir for my line," Nodoka  
reassured the large man. "This is just until I have either found a  
way to undo this or have finished high school again. . . as long as  
it is still agreeable to remarry at that time."  
  
"I still don't know about all this," Genma said as he looked at the  
divorce papers that Nodoka passed him. "What about Ranma?"  
  
"Ranma is an adult, regardless of his current age, and it may even  
ease some of his worries as he as I no longer can take your head,"  
Nodoka said with a small smile. "You are free of all debts, pledges,  
and obligations to me with this. . . save the obligation of family."  
  
"Yes, but that is a lifetime debt all have to suffer unless they  
Ronin themselves," Genma said sadly thinking about his own past as he  
started signing the papers.  
  
"Will you ever tell Ranma about that?" Nodoka asked raising an  
eyebrow.  
  
"Do I have to leave?" Genma asked ignoring the question indicating  
the Dojo and House.  
  
"It is Soun's home, but it would be for the best. I do not want any  
interruptions as I train Ranma in my 'Saotome' family style," Nodoka  
almost looked sad about asking him to go. "But you and Soun have to  
get started on the Saotome family home as it is which should take  
months to finish. . . and it might do Soun good to get out of this  
area for a time."  
  
"He needs a woman," Genma said firmly as he handed back the papers  
back. "It's been too long."  
  
"Then take him looking for one," Nodoka knew he meant a woman more  
then for a night as Genma may be crude but he held a few things  
sacred. She put the papers into her satchel and stood dusting herself  
off trying to hide the unhappiness in her eyes with a look of  
sternness and being proper. She turned and walked to the Dojo  
entrance before adding, "You are also no longer bound by 'that'  
pledge either."  
  
- - - -  
  
"Why do I have ta wear a uniform? It won't fit if I change inta  
girl!" Ranma complained pulling the black jacket out slightly in  
disgust. He really hated the fact it had short black pants and a  
white scarf with green edging around the neck of the black shirt then  
the fact he had to wear one. . . he was too old for short pants!  
  
"If I have to wear a uniform then you have to wear one, it is only  
proper," Nodoka replied sternly even though she just wanted to sigh  
in defeat. "You could always go as a girl in Akane's spare sailor  
suit instead."  
  
"No. . . this uniform's. . okay I guess. I'll just try ta work with  
it when I change," Ranma said almost in a panic.  
  
"Ranma, please remember to speak properly, I'm finding your lack of  
verbal skills to be very embarrassing," Nodoka scolded as she started  
eating her breakfast ignoring Akane sticking her tongue out at her  
son in response to his cringe. "Cologne will be here in a minute to  
walk with you to the school so get your satchel."  
  
"You don't want to be late on the first day," Akane stuck her tongue  
out at Ranma again.  
  
"Ya. . you might want to hurry too as the Junior High is farther  
away then Furinkin," Ranma replied between bites quirking a smile.  
  
"Damn! I forgot!" Akane bolted upright and ran for the door with her  
bag.  
  
"She forgot you and her go to the same school?" Kasumi asked  
watching her little sister leave at blinding speed.  
  
"She's just lucky Miss Hinako decided she was twelve and not eleven  
so she didn't have to go to the Elementary school instead," Ranma  
said calmly as he concentrated on his words. Standing up he put his  
rice bowl down and grabbed his satchel, "I guess we should go too."  
  
Cologne watched bemused as the young Akane Tendo ran past with a  
quick 'Hi Cologne, Bye Cologne!' without pausing in her high speed  
running. The girl was in a mad rush to get to the school and Cologne  
wasn't about to stop her. Walking towards the Tendo gate she smirked  
at the uncomfortable Shampoo walking with her, she pulled at the  
Furinkin jumper in disgust, "It was you own fault when you hit that  
Truancy Officer when he asked you which school you were going too."  
  
"Shampoo is not Japanese! Shampoo finished with school in village!"  
Shampoo stated in anger.  
  
"And the local school council doesn't recognize that education,"  
Cologne reminded trying not to laugh at the purple haired girl. "And  
I would not expect less from a council headed by Principal Kuno and  
Miss. . Principal Hinako, neither is mentally all there."  
  
"At least Shampoo is not in class with angry girl!" Shampoo smirked  
as she remembered the younger Akane heading in the other direction.   
  
As they reached the Tendo Gate they were met by Ranma, Nodoka, and  
Nabiki. Cologne smiled at the group as Nabiki waved at them, "I see  
Akane is eager to start her classes today."  
  
Ranma had to stop and blink a few times as the sight of the young  
Cologne in the black and white school sailor suit left him speechless  
for a minute. Cologne started to get slightly nervous that something  
was off and looked down at herself, "What? Am I wearing it wrong?"  
  
"I think that's Ranma's way of saying you look cute," Nabiki replied  
with a smirk.  
  
"With your hair done up in those two buns you look like you have  
short hair," Nodoka smiled as she put a hand through her own short  
auburn hair. "Ranma has always liked short hair on women. . . ever  
since he was a little baby."  
  
"Really?" Cologne raised an eyebrow as Ranma blushed. "I'll have to  
remember that, but why did Akane leave already? I thought we were  
walking together?"  
  
"Ranma reminded her that the Junior High was farther away and Akane  
must have forgot that you and Ranma are going to the same school,"  
Nabiki explained with an evil little smile.  
  
"Ranma is learning some bad manners in this house," Nodoka stated  
with a frown.  
  
"At least he's learning," Nabiki shrugged the started towards the  
High School. "Come on Aun. . Nodoka-chan I want to get to school  
early, I have things to. . . set up for the day."  
  
"Shampoo walk with you too as Shampoo stuck going to school too,"  
Shampoo replied quickly as she moved over to Nabiki trying not to  
shudder at the sight of a younger Ranma.  
  
"Have a good day at school you two," Nodoka offered as she ran to  
catch up with Nabiki and Shampoo and then walked off with the pair  
down the street.  
  
"Why is it that people forget how old you truly are if you look  
younger?" Ranma asked referring to Shampoo's reaction to him confused.  
  
"I don't know her problem with this, Ranma, but she has also been  
told that you weren't hers anymore and isn't taking it well," Cologne  
replied and she turned and started to walk towards the Junior High.  
"I guess we should catch up with Akane. Over land or by roof?"  
  
"Roof of course!" Ranma shouted as he leapt onto the first house in  
the right direction, quickly followed by Cologne.  
  
They found Akane a few minutes later stopped by a pole looking  
around confused. Landing behind her Ranma cocked his head to one side  
and tried looking concerned, "Got lost?"  
  
"Ranma!?!" Akane jumped nearly out of her skin and landed in a  
defensive stance. She relaxed when Cologne hopped down beside Ranma.  
Akane blushed from embarrassment as she replied, "I can't believe I  
forgot the way."  
  
"You also forgot we go to the same school," Cologne added with  
smile. "Come on, I know the way as I figured one of us should."  
  
Ranma, Cologne, and Akane continued on, soon met by other students  
going to the same school. Reaching the school Akane parted company to  
find to her own class as Ranma and Cologne headed up a floor to  
theirs.  
  
"What the heck is up with Akane? She's been like that all week  
around me," Ranma asked as he picked a desk in the middle of the row  
next to the window. It was early enough that both Ranma and Cologne  
had the pick of just about any desk they wanted. "Every time she  
thinks we're alone she gets scared and defensive."  
  
"I'm not sure, but she is younger than you now. . . maybe she was  
just scared at that age of anyone older trying to take advantage of  
her because she was too weak?" Cologne replied with a shrug as she  
sat down in the desk beside Ranma's and marked it on the blackboard  
by throwing the chalk sitting on the desk at the right spot on the  
chart.  
  
"Oh, you what a challenge huh?" Ranma smirked as he grabbed all the  
pieces from the desk nearby and started throwing piece after piece at  
the blackboard leaving a crude set of characters saying 'Ra n ma'. He  
turned and gave Cologne a smug look and offered her the chalk he  
hadn't used.  
  
Cologne raised an eyebrow as she took the chalk and started throwing  
the pieces herself. When she was done her spot had a nice design that  
read 'Ku Lon', "Penmanship counts as two points."  
  
Those who had already come into the room stared in disbelief at the  
display of skill, and the two who did it laughing their heads off  
about it. There was only two things a person did with Martial  
Artists, either avoid them like death himself or befriend them  
quickly. . . in Nerima avoiding was the best policy.  
  
"That was fun," Cologne said coming back from gathering up the chalk  
they had thrown and handing them to Ranma.  
  
"Yes it was. You! What's your name?" Ranma pointed to a short boy  
with glasses who had just taken the first desk in Ranma's row.  
  
"Me!? Eep! It's. . It's Jin. . ." the boy looked nervous like a deer  
caught in the headlights knowing it was about to die now.  
  
"Don't move," Ranma smirked as he started throwing the chalk around  
the boy's head to mark the name on the proper position on the board  
looking only a little neater then last time, "Obstacles count as  
double points."  
  
Cologne laughed as she took the horde of chalk again and looked at  
the black-haired girl who sat down on her other side who said 'Mai'  
in surprise, she started throwing the pieces so that they would  
bounce off the side blackboard before hitting the right stop then  
bounce back to Cologne, "Style also counts as double points."  
  
Ranma was about to stand up to get some more chalk as the horde was  
getting overused when he was handed a new pile from a smiling brunet  
girl who promptly sat down in front of him and said, "Yuri"  
  
By the time the Homeroom teacher came into the room the chalk was  
flying everywhere and bouncing back to two students who kept chucking  
out new pieces around the room. The front blackboard had every  
students name on it with their last names added and the side  
blackboard had a small map of the Nerima district with a marked  
location showing where the Nekohanten was compared to the school.  
Cologne's were neatly styled with a flare for design and Ranma's  
showed great improvement to almost the level of Cologne's first few  
tries.  
  
"What's going on here!?!" the teacher shouted causing Ranma to miss  
a returning piece which Cologne had to catch before it hit anyone  
else.  
  
"It was incredible Miss Kuno! They were writing all our names on the  
board!" replied a short boy seated on the far side of Ranma and  
Cologne as he ran up to the tall raven-haired woman.  
  
"Kuno!?!" both Ranma and Cologne exclaimed in shock then realized  
the woman looked simular to Kodachi, just older and a much more  
conservative taste in clothing. Both dropped their heads in  
depression, "We're doomed!"  
  
"I told you before, Hiro, that my name is Miss Ingawara now and not  
Kuno," the woman stated sternly as she put her briefcase on the front  
podium and straightened her black suit jacket over her medium length  
black skirt. "I have nothing to do with that insane family!"  
  
"You two!" Miss Ingawara said as she moved between the two rows and  
looked sternly at Ranma and Cologne causing them to look slightly  
nervous. She pointed at the board behind her without turning, "Who  
has that atrocious handwriting?"  
  
Ranma raised his hand slowly and Cologne stuck her tongue out at  
him. Miss Ingawara narrowed her eyes slightly but smile evilly, "Miss  
Ku Lon it'll be your responsibility to improve Mister Saotome's  
handwriting by the end of the term to a level I find befitting a High  
school student. You aren't in Elementary any more Mister Saotome and  
it's time you learned that."  
  
Cologne was about to argue with the teacher about the extra duties  
but one look at Ranma's wide-eyed attempt to not laugh made it  
impossible as she had to fight laughing too.  
  
"And the two of you will stay after school and clean up this chalk  
mess that is all over the room," Miss Ingawara finished as she opened  
up her lesson book and prepared to start class.  
  
- - - -  
  
Ranma leaned back in his chair during the short break between  
classes and looked up at the ceiling with a content smile, "That was  
really fun. I wonder why me and Akane never have fun like that?"  
  
"Probably because she'd take it as just one of your ways to show you  
had superior skill and then take it as a serious challenge. She  
wouldn't have realized you were just playing," Cologne replied also  
smiling. "That girl has got to lighten up or she'll end up like  
Hibiki, hating others for her own faults."  
  
"Hey! It's not all her fault! I tend to take challenges a bit too  
seriously, but she doesn't seem to understand that I also do Martial  
Arts for fun too," Ranma stated doing a rare thing and pointing out  
one of his own faults.  
  
"You know the reason," Cologne gave Ranma a look and Ranma nodded  
slightly with a touch of sadness on his face. "I take it teaching her  
finally hasn't worked out?"  
  
"She ain't got the control she needs for the chi training that Ryoga  
taught her! And the Soul of Ice training was a total bust. . . I'm  
not even going to try teaching her the full 'Hiryu Shoten Ha' as  
she'd just hurt herself. She needs to step back two stages and learn  
things right but she won't let herself see that she needs to learn  
the basics again," Ranma explained in frustration. "If she keeps this  
up she's gonna kill herself and take others with her!"  
  
"Maybe I should look into training her in the Amazon Wu Shu? That  
way she could be forced to relearn the basics as she is learning a  
new style," Cologne offered with a small smile.  
  
"Sounds like a plan," Ranma agreed as the next teacher came into the  
room and the class started again.  
  
- - - -  
  
"You guys are like. . . totally cool!" the short boy with glasses  
from the front of Ranma's row said as he came up to Ranma's desk  
during the longer class break.  
  
"It was pretty impressive. . . are you two Martial Artists?" asked  
the brunet girl that sat in front of Ranma with a large smile. "I  
heard you talking about training before."  
  
Jin and Yuri, right?" Cologne asked the two and received nods. "Both  
myself and Ranma are masters of our respective styles. . . so yes we  
are Martial Artists."  
  
Ranma gave Cologne an odd look at that as technically she was the  
grandmaster of her style but decided not to make an issue about it.  
  
"My brother, Hiroshi, is always talking about all the wild Martial  
stuff he sees at Furinkin," Yuri said with a small frown. "He's  
always talking about his friend Ranma."  
  
"Is he?" Ranma replied a little impressed as Cologne started giggling.  
  
"Yeah, he talks about how Ranma can leap buildings and can move so  
fast that you can't see it. I think it sounds too much like an anime  
character to be real," Yuri continued rolling her eyes at the  
thought. "Me, I just want to make the Martial Arts Rhythmic  
Gymnastics team this year."  
  
"You know that style don't you Ranma?" Cologne asked and started  
giggling again as he glared at her.  
  
"You know Martial Rhythmic Gymnastics? Isn't it a girl's sport?" Jin  
asked confused.  
  
"It's a Martial style and learning it regardless of who it was  
designed for will only improve one's skill," Cologne replied sagely.  
  
"So you know it too?" Yuri asked smiling as she started to think  
they might be able to a big help getting her on the team.  
  
"Ah. . . no," cologne admitted looking a little embarrassed causing  
Ranma to laugh.  
  
"Maybe if we both joined the team we could learn it together?" Yuri  
offered with another smile, but not as broadly this time.  
  
"Well. . . I don't think. . ." Cologne started to try to back out of  
it but Ranma cut her off to tease her.  
  
"Why not? You said it was worth knowing, and you don't know it,"  
Ranma smirked.  
  
"Maybe we could bring 'Ranko' too, just to make the team even  
stronger? She is after all the only competitor to beat that Kuno girl  
last year," Cologne suggested evilly.  
  
"You know the red-haired girl who beat Kodachi Kuno!?! She goes to  
this school!?!" Yuri was almost jumping up and down in her chair out  
of excitement.  
  
"Technically she goes to this school, but you'll rarely see her,"  
Cologne replied giving Ranma a smirk. "Usually only on rainy days,  
she likes rain a lot."  
  
"Ranko? Hiroshi talks about her too. . . she's supposed to be like  
Ranma's sister or something. . . Hiroshi was never really clear about  
that," Yuri looked confused, then it dawned on her. "Wait! Your name  
is Ranma Saotome too! Are you related to the Ranma that Hiroshi  
knows?"  
  
"Sorta. . . Ranma is a very common name in the Saotome family as of  
late," Ranma sighed depressed. Cologne had to suppress a laugh as she  
thought about all the other Ranmas. The fake Ranma hunting Genma, the  
two mirror copies of Ranma who ran off to be with each other, and the  
child Ranma. . . well that one didn't really count as he was just the  
real Ranma, only even younger then Ranma was right now.  
  
"Wow," Yuri beamed at the two then smiled at Cologne. "Are you a  
member of the Saotome family too?"  
  
"No. . . not as of yet," Cologne replied and smirked at the wide-  
eyed look of shock at her. "I'm a Chinese Amazon, I'm sure your  
brother has mentioned them to you as well."  
  
"Chinese Amazon. . . ah, um, yeah he has. . ." Yuri tried not  
looking at Cologne.  
  
"I take it that none of what he said was good?" Cologne lifted an  
eyebrow at the girl.  
  
"I think Hiroshi's only exposure to Amazons is Shampoo and Mousse,"  
Ranma gave Cologne a sad smile. "Not exactly a glowing example after  
all."  
  
"You exposure to our people has been much more then that, does it  
leave you with a simular opinion?" Cologne asked almost looking hurt.  
  
"Nah, I rarely hold a grudge with anyone, and I tend to not judge a  
group of people on a few examples," Ranma shrugged as he balanced his  
pencil on the tip of his finger by it's point.  
  
"How very enlightened of you. If more people were like that this  
world would be in less problems," Cologne smirked as she was being a  
little sarcastic. Taking two pencils out she winked at him as she  
balanced them on her first two fingers on her primary hand.  
  
Jin gave Yuri a small nudge and whispered to her with a smile, "I  
think they're at it again."  
  
Yuri simply nodded back as Ranma balanced another pencil on the same  
hand then put his eraser on it's corner to balance on the first  
pencil.   
  
By the time the next teacher came in the pair were balancing a  
pencil on each finger with something on top of each, small things  
like erasers to larger things like pencil cases. The teacher cleared  
his throat as Jin and Yuri were trying to place a pencil on each  
Martial Artist's nose causing them to drop the pencils and  
accidentally bump both Ranma and Cologne's other pencils to start  
them to fall. In a burst of speed all the falling articles were  
caught and given back to their owners before anything could hit the  
floor.  
  
The teacher simply shook his head slightly as he started his lesson,  
it was Nerima after all and Martial Artists were to be expected.  
  
- - - -   
  
Ranma sat down on a long flat stone that was set under a large tree  
as he pulled out his bento. He had looked forward to Kasumi's lunch  
since breakfast, when he got hungry again, and now he could finally  
eat it.  
  
"Enjoying that?" Cologne asked as she sat down with him pulling a  
larger bento out of her bag and offered it to Ranma. "Want another  
one?"  
  
Ranma cracked open Kasumi's lunch as he eyed the offered bento from  
Cologne suspiciously.  
  
"Don't worry it's not drugged," Cologne rolled her eyes at the boy.  
"Shampoo made a mistake trying to do that to you that time. I promise  
I won't try to add *special* ingredients to anything I give you, will  
that make you feel better?"  
  
Ranma reluctantly took the still offered bento and looked slightly  
embarrassed about his doubt of Cologne, besides a few jokes about  
their relationship all Cologne had done so far was trying to be a  
friend and she didn't deserve that kind of suspicion from him. . .  
then again she made Nabiki look like an amateur in manipulation.  
  
"Wow, they even sit together at lunch, they must be going out!" Jin  
joked as he walked up to the pair with Yuri at his side. Yuri frowned  
at Jin at the comment but had to admit that she might not have a  
chance at snagging Ranma as it seemed Cologne had already done it,  
and she wanted Cologne as a friend.   
  
"We're not going out," Ranma replied from behind the bento he was  
finishing before starting in the larger one.  
  
Yuri shook her head slightly trying not to giggle as Cologne rolled  
her eyes at Ranma's statement, after all boys were usually the last  
to know they had a girlfriend, "Jin lay off them, can't you see they  
want their relationship to be quiet."  
  
"Then they shouldn't be so obvious about it," Jin countered as he  
sat on another stone that faced the pair.  
  
"We're not going out," Ranma replied again sounding a little more  
annoyed as he continued to eat the great food Cologne had made. "I'm  
already engaged."  
  
"WHAT!?!" Jin and Yuri exclaimed in shock as Cologne slapped her  
forehead then looked to the heavens quietly asking 'why?'.  
  
Jin and Yuri were about to start into asking all sorts of questions  
about this when someone interrupted them.  
  
"Ranma! There you are!" a small girl with short blue-black hair  
called out as she ran up to the group looking very very unhappy.  
  
"What's wrong Akane?" Ranma stood looking concerned placing his  
bento down carefully as he scanned the area around Akane incase what  
ever was bothering her was following her. What he caught was several  
kids wearing the uniform cut that Akane's age group wore trying to  
stand nonchalant while keeping an eye on Akane as she came up to  
Ranma. The girl of the group looked very bruised and the stronger of  
the boys was sporting a nasty shiner.  
  
"It's been a horrible day!" Akane complained in an angry huff as she  
stopped in front of Ranma and looked up into his eyes.  
  
"What happened?" Ranma asked again slightly more coldly as he kept  
the group in his field of vision.  
  
"Pervert boys!. . . and a pervert girl," Akane huffed again but  
realized that Ranma was watching something over her shoulder,  
lowering her voice she asked, "Are they back there?"  
  
"Three boys, all of which look like they have been held back a year  
or two, and a blonde girl that looks like a punching bag?" Cologne  
asked as she described the group Ranma was watching. "That black eye  
on the biggest boy was an accident wasn't it?"  
  
"He wasn't who I was trying to hit," Akane admitted with a frown.  
"But he had it coming! He and that bitch spanked me!"  
  
Ranma's eyes narrowed at that as Jin, Yuri, and even Cologne's eyes  
widened at what Akane stated. Before anyone could say anything else  
Ranma disappeared and Cologne groaned as he was just playing knight  
in shining armour again.  
  
The boy with the shiner knew something was wrong when he lost track  
of the older boy the little crybaby was talking to. He didn't have to  
wait long for what he expected to happen. The older boy seemed to  
simple appear in front of him and the area got a lot colder. Kentro  
crossed his arms unconcerned by the action as the rest of his friends  
jumped back in shock, "Was that supposed to be impressive?"  
  
"Leave Akane Tendo alone," Ranma stated in a very cold and dangerous  
tone not caring that the boy didn't react, after what he and Cologne  
had seen in the boy he wasn't expecting any reaction anyways.  
  
"And if I don't?" Kentro smirked as he gathered his energy expecting  
a fight.  
  
"I've read your skill level and you might be a good fight but I've  
taken better down more then a few pegs," Ranma stood with out  
reacting to the boy's focussing.  
  
"Big words, care to back those words up?" Kentro shot a foot at were  
Ranma was just standing obviously missing as Ranma was standing a  
foot to the right.  
  
"Not bad, but way too slow kid," Ranma gave an amused smirk at the  
flare in the boy's eyes. Ranma continued to move to the right faster  
then Kentro could bring his attacks to bear on him and came to the  
center of what he planned. Now he would have gone easier on the boy  
except that what he saw as a skill close to his father's in a boy  
several years younger then himself, and that the boy was obviously  
honourless to pick on a smaller girl. "HIRYU SHOTEN HA!"  
  
Kentro was caught by surprise as the tornado sprung to life around  
him and Ranma suddenly. Without being prepared for it he was swept up  
into the howling winds and bounced from one edge to another only to  
fall to the ground barely conscious when Ranma stopped the move.  
Trying to lift himself on one working arm he looked up at the cold  
eye's of the older boy who simple said, "Leave Akane Tendo alone."  
  
Ranma walked back to the group without looking back, know full well  
the boy had fallen unconscious when he left. He was still disturbed  
that the boy had the kind of skill that made it necessary to pull out  
the big moves just to scare him. . . it was something to look into  
later.  
  
"Ranma. . .?" Akane asked looking concerned between him and the  
group of bullies.  
  
"If they bother you again come to me right away," Ranma replied with  
a small frown. "You can't deal with that one guy. . . not yet  
anyways, but you will be able to soon."  
  
"I CAN TAKE CARE OF MY. . ." Akane started to scream in protest,  
forgetting she had come to Ranma for help in the first place, but she  
was cut off.  
  
"You can deal with all of them but that last boy," Cologne said in  
all seriousness. "Ranma wouldn't have used such a deadly technique if  
he didn't have too and you know it. That boy has more skill then he  
should."  
  
"Mind explaining that?" Ranma asked as he sat down and picked up the  
bento Cologne gave him again.  
  
"He has the skills of a master. . . but he lacks the discipline  
required to learn those moves," Cologne looked slightly confused but  
continued. "He tried to hit you with moves his body isn't ready to  
use yet. . . simular to the position I'm in with such a young body. I  
can't do many of the moves I use to as I'm not conditioned in body  
enough anymore."  
  
"Could he have found the 'mushrooms' too?" Akane asked as she sat  
next to Ranma. "Or some other way of becoming younger?"  
  
"No, he's his right age," Ranma replied glancing at the group again.  
"He was fighting like he knew the moves but not how to really use  
them yet."  
  
"Excuse us. . . but what are you guys talking about?" Jin butted in  
reminding the three that he and Yuri were still there. They had been  
stunned by what they had just seen as no one they had ever met could  
do anything like that. For Yuri it was proof to everything her older  
brother had been telling her over the last year.  
  
Ranma rolled his eyes to the heavens and silently cursed himself for  
forgetting about the two, "Sorry, we're. . um, we really can't. . ."  
  
"Yuri, when you get home ask your brother if the Ranma Saotome and  
Akane Tendo he knows were at Furinkin today," Cologne instructed  
calmly as both Ranma and Akane looked at her strange. "Tomorrow we'll  
explain if you promise not to tell anyone."  
  
"Um, okay I guess," Yuri replied confused. Actually she sorta knew  
the Akane Tendo that Hiroshi went to class with as she once took her  
class on a tour as part of a extra curricular assignment. . . come to  
think about it this Akane Tendo looked like that one's younger  
sister, had to be a Cousin. Turning to look at the younger girl Yuri  
smiled, "So. . . are you Ranma's fiance?"  
  
"It's our parents idea!" Akane and Ranma both exclaimed out of  
reflex and started laughing when they realized that they did it again.  
  
"Actually the engagement has been postponed for a while so I'm not  
technically his fiancé right now," Akane explained to two very  
confused people.  
  
- - - -  
  
Ranma was still very annoyed about the lunch fight when the three of  
them were heading home after school. He had enjoyed the day up till  
then, he liked having a person to play with the Art with without the  
petty reactions he usually got. Cologne was a pure shock as she  
seemed so much more nicer at this age then when she was the 'old  
ghoul' and it made Ranma want to smile despite the problem that the  
other boy posed.  
  
"You can't keep using moves like that on him. . . you might do him  
permanent harm," Cologne said from beside him shaking her head  
slightly. "He may have the skill but it isn't his somehow."  
  
"Maybe it's some kind of possession?" Akane asked from Ranma's other  
side as she looked across to Cologne.  
  
"Could be. . . but it doesn't feel right for that," Cologne nodded  
back showing Akane had a reasonable idea. "We'll have to look into  
that."  
  
"This is taking too long!" Ranma said suddenly taking both girls by  
surprise. Taking Akane into his arms he jumped to the nearest raised  
wall then onto a roof. "I'm hungry!"  
  
"Ranma!?!" Akane protested and struggled until she realized she was  
high above the ground then she closed her mouth and held on tightly,  
even though she knew Ranma would never drop her she felt very scared  
at the moment.  
  
Cologne sighed then jumped after the boy with a smirk, "I suggest  
the Nekohanten as Kasumi is there and not at the Dojo."  
  
"Oh yeah that's right, Thanks for reminding me!" Ranma called out as  
he quickly changed course.  
  
After a few minutes Ranma came to a stop in front of the restaurant  
and put Akane down on her feet then was assaulted by Akane as she  
pounded on his chest repeatedly, "Idiot! Why couldn't you have warned  
me first!?!"  
  
"Where's the fun in that?" Ranma asked Akane with his lopsided smile  
as Cologne hopped down beside them.  
  
"Oh calm down Chil. . Akane-chan if was just for fun," Cologne  
rolled her eyes at the younger girl at her normal actions.  
  
"Nah, Akane's not really mad at me, if she was I'd be malleted by  
now," Ranma replied back still smiling. "She's just frustrated that  
she could join in on her own."  
  
"Well you've never tried to teach me how!" Akane stepped back,  
turned away, and crossed her arms in annoyance.  
  
"Then you don't have to worry, we'll be covering that when I start  
training you," Cologne stated offhandedly trying not the smirk as she  
walked into the restaurant.  
  
"Train me?" Akane asked in confusion as Ranma walked past her and  
entered the restaurant as well.  
  
- - - -   
  
Author's Notes: There is Chapter 4. I was trying to show that even  
though it's been his whole life that Ranma can have fun with the Art.  
Too much of the Manga and Anime shows him striving to get better to  
beat someone and not having a lot of fun with it. Akane is going to  
be a little off for awhile as she isn't comfortable being so young.  
What actually happened in Akane's class will be covered in the next  
chapter along with Nodoka's, Shampoo's, and Kasumi's day.  
  
For the record there is someone helping to edit this. . . I just  
haven't heard back from him for the first three chapters. I'll update  
them when he does.  
  
Hope you are enjoying this.  
  
Felix 


	5. Other's First Day

A Ranma 1 / 2 Alternate Histories Company Presents:  
  
Cologne for Teens  
  
By Felix Webster ( Felix Warstar )  
[felix_webster@telus.net]  
  
Disclaimer: All original Ranma ½ Characters and Back story Copyright  
Rumiko Takahashi. This is written for fun and not for any profit so  
please don't sue as I'm a poor writer who one day hopes to write  
something original and become a so-called professional writer. . .  
this is just practice.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
- Other's First Day -  
  
Akane was not happy to see the school gates as she, Ranma, and  
Cologne approached the grounds. She was so small and weak compared to  
what she was before, not that she was so large to begin with, and it  
made her nervous. She was technically a year younger than everyone  
else in her class and her growth spurt hadn't originally started  
until she was thirteen last time.  
  
As they passed through the gates she quickly informed her travelling  
companions that she had to find her own classroom before she walked  
off in a different direction. She knew this school's layout fairly  
well so it wasn't hard to get there in little time. She walked in and  
immediately looked to the front blackboard knowing that in the first  
year the seating was set for the first term as the younger students  
weren't use to high school yet. Her desk was farther to the back then  
she ever really liked, the bad students usually tried hiding in the  
back as they were often ignored there. Looking for the corresponding  
desk she saw a group people gathered in the area, and another girl  
already sitting in her desk.  
  
Walking up to the group a little nervously, as the others were all  
boys who looked too old for the first year, Akane stopped in front of  
her desk and stated to the girl who was blatantly ignoring her,  
"Excuse me but the board says that this is my desk."  
  
"Bug off little girl," the girl waved off Akane without even looking  
at her causing the several of the boys to try not to laugh and  
Akane's anger to start to rise.  
  
The oldest, and strongest looking, boy looked at her for a moment  
straight faced not seemingly joining his friends attempts not to  
laugh then turned his attention back to the group.  
  
"I don't know where your desk is but it's not this one," Akane  
stated firmly as she narrowed her eyes at the brown haired girl's  
head.  
  
"Listen, baby cunt, this is now my desk so find another!" the girl  
turned and glared threateningly at Akane barely causing her short  
spiky hair move.  
  
Akane was taken slightly back by the language from the other girl  
but it made her anger rise farther and stand with her fists clenched  
at her sides. The girl looked at the site and gave a short laugh as  
she mockingly rubbed her eyes with her own fists, "Awww, baby cunt  
gonna cry."  
  
The girl barely had time to reacted as she noticed a fist coming  
straight for her face but she nothing to really worry about as it was  
easily caught by the oldest boy. The boy grabbed the hand as if it  
was so very slow then wrenched Akane's arm up behind her back,  
"Little girls should know better then to throw tantrums."  
  
"Let go of me!" Akane shouted louder then she planned to as the boy  
made sure her arm really hurt, and was basically useless at the  
moment.  
  
"What are we going to do with the baby cunt?" the girl smirked  
evilly as she ran her hand over Akane's cheeks causing Akane to  
flinch back at the perverted action.  
  
"Guri we both know what happens to little girls who are bad don't  
we," the boy replied not giving any emotion with his face although it  
was clearly in his voice. Giving Akane's arm another sharp twist he  
made her lean over the desk using her other arm to try to stop him  
forcing her completely on the desk.  
  
"Bad girls get spanked!" Guri answered loudly with a broad evil  
smile as she whipped her hand up and laid it down with all her might  
on Akane's exposed panty clad ass causing a loud smack to echo  
throughout the classroom.  
  
Akane tried to force herself up and scream something at the girl  
when another boy repeated what the girl, Guri, had done causing Akane  
to let out a burst of air in shock and do what came naturally, "Stop  
it!"  
  
"Not until you have learned your lesson baby cunt," Guri replied as  
she brought her face in front of the somewhat prone Akane and smiled  
at the her stroking Akane's face again as another boy continued the  
spanking. "You don't mess with us. . . not unless you like to be  
spanked in front all your other classmates."  
  
Akane's anger flared to it's highest levels as the girl accused her  
of being some kind of pervert. How dare such a bitch like this girl  
get off calling her a pervert! Akane started to glow red with anger  
then focussed it into her strength to finally pull away from the  
older boy before he could have his, and the final, chance at her  
backside. Standing upright quickly she turned the energy out like  
Ryoga had taught her to and focussed it at the girl making a ball of  
pure anger streak out and hit Guri full force. The girl went flying  
into the far wall and then slumped down to lay unconscious on the  
floor, two of the boys went to check on the her.  
  
"What did you do to her!" the older boy demanded finally showing  
emotion on his face as he grabbed Akane's up raise hand. Akane felt  
the grip on her wrist again then spun around being prepared this time  
and threw a punch at the boy's face. The boy seemed surprise by the  
attack and it hit him in the right eye before he could stop it. Being  
unprepared for the contact with a fist from an unusually strong small  
girl the boy went flying to the other side of the room but he had  
enough sense left to flip back onto his feet before landing. The boy  
spun and prepared to get into a real fight with the girl but the  
teacher finally walked in and put a stop to that by simply asking  
what was going on. After a few minutes of trying to explain that  
nothing happened, and one of the boys getting Guri to the school  
nurse, they all were in their proper desks and the teacher started  
the class.  
  
- - - -  
  
Nodoka wasn't so sure about going to school again. She may look and  
like she was sixteen again, including her oversized bust she would  
have to grow back into again, but she was an adult woman. . . with a  
son who should be this age. But as she knew she would have to live  
with this for a time, and if there was anything she did well it was  
to strive and survive. If only they would have allowed her to bring  
her sword. . .  
  
"Now Auntie there is a few things I need to warn you about. . ."  
Nabiki started cautiously but gave the girl a small evil smile as  
she, the young Nodoka, and Shampoo walked towards the school.  
  
"Nabiki, dear, I told you to call me Nodoka for the time being.  
Calling me Auntie will just confuse people," Nodoka softly scolded as  
she straightened her school jumper.  
  
"I still say you should go with the truth on this," Nabiki smirked.  
"Trust me, no one at Furinkin would blink twice at Ranma's mother  
having become a teenager again and being forced by Principal Kuno to  
attend classes."  
  
"Mercenary girl right, Furinkin people crazy," Shampoo huffed as she  
walked behind the two a bit as she was not at all happy about being  
in the horrible looking jumper like the others.  
  
"People at Furinkin as pretty sane compared to some people I know,"  
Nabiki countered snidely then gritted her teeth and added, "It would  
help if learned some better Japanese while you're in class, my name  
is Nabiki not 'Mercenary girl'."  
  
Shampoo stuck her tongue out at the older girl.  
  
"The only real problem I can see is that you look a lot like Ranma's  
girl form. . . with slightly less red hair and no pigtail," Nabiki  
got back to her original conversation ignoring Shampoo.  
  
"Just remember the story, I'm Ranma's younger sister," Nodoka  
frowned as she didn't like the dishonesty but she didn't want to  
embarrass the family name too much with the truth.  
  
  
Nabiki rolled her eyes but continued on without much more comment  
about the subject.  
  
- - - -  
  
The trio of girls approached the school gates and Nabiki stopped  
then and frowned about something and putting her hand out to halt the  
other two.  
  
"Why Mercen. . . Why Nabiki stop Shampoo?" Shampoo looked crossly at  
the hand on her breast it was obvious that it was an accident. . .  
but Shampoo could never really be sure about that with Nabiki.  
  
"Yes, why are suddenly looking so worried?" Nodoka asked looking  
concerned.  
  
"Look at the gates," Nabiki replied as she pointed at the boy who  
was obviously waiting for someone as he wasn't staring out to the  
streets and not moving to get into the school yard.  
  
"Hi Ya! That stick boy!" Shampoo exclaimed as she realized what the  
problem was and looked at Nodoka with concern. "Not good, Mother-in-  
law no know how to fight!"  
  
"Shampoo!" Nodoka scolded loudly. "First, I am not you Mother-in-  
law! Akane is engaged to Ranma. Second, even though I am not on my  
husband's level of skill I am not defenceless! Genma did his best to  
teach me to at least defend myself."  
  
"So you are good with that sword you're always carrying around?"  
Nabiki raised an eyebrow seeming to be impressed. Shampoo seemed  
happy about the news too.  
  
"No, I know nothing of how to use that sword except which end to  
hold," Nodoka replied mater of factually.  
  
Both girls suddenly dropped in shock then Nabiki asked as she  
started to get up, "Then why do you always carry it!?!"  
  
"It scares Genma," Nodoka smirked evilly. "He doesn't know that I'm  
unskilled with it."  
  
Shampoo and Nabiki gave each other confused and then Shampoo leaned  
over to whisper into Nabiki's ear, "Shampoo think something not  
right, Panda-man know enough to read skill with sword so how Nodoka  
fool him?"  
  
Nabiki shrugged and vowed to confront the man when she could about  
that very matter.  
  
"Now, if it is the Kuno boy you are worried about then I suggest we  
deal with him quickly or we will be late for class," Nodoka stated  
then started to walk towards the gates again. Shampoo and Nabiki  
shrugged and moved to catch up with the other girl.  
  
Kuno was waiting for signs of Akane Tendo, any sign of Akane Tendo.  
He had read the resister and was related to see that the name of that  
accursed Ranma Saotome was missing from the list but he had little  
time to be happy as he couldn't find his beloved's name either. It  
had to be a mistake! After almost an hour of waiting, he got there  
very early, he spied someone who could clear things up. Preparing his  
wallet he imposed himself in the path of Nabiki Tendo and her two  
travelling companions, "Nabiki Tendo, I wish to know what heinous  
event has caused my beloved, Akane Tendo, to be missing from the  
school register and my noble presence?"  
  
Nabiki cringed as both girls gave her hard looks, "Kuno baby,  
couldn't we talk about this later?"  
  
"Nabiki Tendo I will not be brushed off! Truth be known I was made  
happy by the absence of that black sorcerer, Saotome, but. . but the  
lack of my sweet Akane's name is unacceptable!" Kuno ranted in near  
anger.  
  
"My so. . brother is not a black sorcerer!" Nodoka corrected in  
anger, she nearly slipped but she couldn't allow this lout to say  
such things.  
  
Kuno looked at the girl and blinked then blinked again until it  
finally clicked as to who was with Nabiki, "Pigtailed girl? I. . I  
did not recognize you as I rarely have seen you in a dress. . . have  
you changed your hair? It seems a little less fiery and lacks it's.  
. . pigtail."  
  
  
"I am not you 'Pigtailed girl'! I am Ranma's moth. . sister, Nodoka  
Saotome, and I will thank you not to dishonour my family's name with  
such baseless accusations!" Nodoka's eyes flared at the boy, he wore  
the clothes of a samurai but obviously lacked honour, and people  
wondered why the old system started to break down.  
  
"I. . I meant no dis. . I apologise but that peasant, Ranma Saotome,  
has wronged me and the noble house of Kuno too many times for me not  
to say his name with his crimes attached," Kuno started out a little  
confused as the girl looked so much like his Pigtailed goddess but  
the voice was a touch more. . . a touch more mature, and the way she  
acted was more. . . dignified. He remembered running into a couple of  
girls that looked like his two beloveds who were too young the other  
day and now again he was faced with another.  
  
"Ranma is NOT a peasant! The Saotome family is a noble house!"  
Nodoka was in Kuno's face and very very angry. Nabiki gave the girl  
who was her aunt a little shocked glance as even she didn't know  
that. . . although it did explain the fact that there was a Saotome  
family katana.  
  
"Surely you jest? I've met the vile boy's father and there is nae  
anything noble about the man," Kuno backed up slightly, shocked that  
the girl would confront him so. . . maybe his handsome visage had  
enchanted another.  
  
"The Saotome name comes from my. . my mother's side of the family!"  
Nodoka really really wanted the family sword at the moment but then  
noticed that Kuno was carrying a well used bokken and she was glad  
she didn't have it, she might end up on her young tush if he had any  
skill with the wooden blade. "Genma was a Ronin that I. . Mother  
married to annoy her parents. Ranma is the heir to the family."  
  
"I. . I see," Kuno said as she started to process what he was told.  
He may be a little thick headed, and blind to most things, but he  
wasn't the idiot everyone thought he was, after all he was in the top  
of his class. . . without cheating or paying off the teachers. "I  
will have to think about this. . ."  
  
Nodoka looked proud of herself as she and the other girls moved  
around Kuno and started to walk into the schoolyard. Nabiki was about  
to ask her aunt about what was said about noble houses when Kuno  
interrupted them again, "Wait, I have another question of you."  
  
Nodoka sighed with her head down before turning to face him again,  
"What is it now? We have to get to class."  
  
"I find myself now very confused. I know you are not my red-haired  
pigtailed goddess, even though you are the very split image of her,"  
Kuno started with a very odd frown on his face looking like he was  
trying to work things out for a change. "If you are Ranma Saotome's  
sister. . . then what relation is she to him?"  
  
"A girl about my height with fiery red hair and wears her hair and  
clothes like my so. . brother?" Nodoka tried to clarify and received  
a nod from Kuno. "That IS Ranma."  
  
"Nay. I don't understand what you mean," Kuno replied as confused as  
he sounded. "She has at times called herself Ranma. . . and Nabiki  
Tendo once said that they are of one mind and one body. . but that  
was due to his dark control of the girl!"  
  
"Have you not seen his. . our father change into a panda? Or the  
Chinese boy change into a duck?" Nodoka asked through gritted teeth.  
"Those are results of a curse gained in China, and Ranma is  
unfortunately cursed as well. . . to become a girl against his  
wishes."  
  
"A curse. . ." Kuno repeated dumbstruck as Nodoka spun on her heals  
and walked away.  
  
"I doubt that worked, we've been trying to tell him that for a year  
now," Nabiki smirked at the bizarre reaction from Kuno.  
  
"No you haven't," Nodoka stated sounding angry again. "You have been  
purposely misleading that boy to make a profit off my son. . brother.  
You have gone out of your way to make Ranma's life a living hell in  
the past year."  
  
"Mother-in. . . Nodoka tell truth," Shampoo agreed correcting  
herself when Nodoka frowned at the girl.  
  
Nabiki stopped in shock, she had only done what was necessary to  
make sure the household survived.  
  
- - - -  
  
The classes went relatively smoothly for Nodoka as she was a year  
behind were Ranma should have been and her fellow students were in  
Junior High the year before. She did realize that she would have to  
readjust herself to the girls her now current age as she was lost in  
the several conversations she tried joining around her.  
  
Shampoo's classes weren't as smooth. Her classmates knew her.  
  
Most were surprised that she was going to the school at all, and the  
only ones brave enough to talk to her just wanted to know where Ranma  
and Akane were. Sayuri and Yuka wouldn't let up on her, both  
believing Shampoo had done something fowl with Akane regardless of  
Shampoo's protests.  
  
Nabiki's day started off bad. She couldn't find anything to lay bets  
on, or at least nothing anyone would bother betting on. She spent  
most of the morning suffering the glares from Kuno, who sat behind  
her this year, because their stupid Home room teacher wanted to  
'jive' things up this year. She had watched Kuno confront Ranma's old  
friends as they had come through the gates, he didn't seem to like  
what the answers to the questions he asked but he let them go  
unharmed. Kuno had also stopped Akane's friends with what she  
expected were the same questions, and he seemed to get nearly the  
same answers.  
  
It was during the break before the class before lunch that Kuno no  
longer held his tongue.  
  
"Nabiki Tendo. . . is it true?" Kuno asked neither sounding angry  
nor crazed as he put a thousand yen note on Nabiki's shoulder.  
  
Nabiki took the offered yen but didn't turn around, "You had better  
explain what you want to know is true or not so I can answer the  
question properly."  
  
"That may have been a big part of the problem before. . ." Kuno  
sounded very depressed. . . and very sane.  
  
That did cause Nabiki to turn around and raise an eyebrow at the  
Kendoist, "You're not yourself today, what gives?"  
  
"I'm not sure I know what you mean," Kuno said calmly never breaking  
his stare into Nabiki's eyes. "What I want to know is. . . is it true  
that my 'Pigtailed girl' is only a cursed form of Ranma Saotome?"  
  
Nabiki didn't want to give up on finding out what had changed the  
clueless to the clued but Kuno had finally asked his question and he  
had paid for an answer. She sighed before looking back at him, "Sorry  
Kuno, the answer is yes. It's not something he's comfortable with  
either."  
  
Kuno's expression never changed but something died in his eyes, only  
to spark again with something new. Nabiki too another large yen note  
as he asked a slightly unexpected question, "His younger sister. . .  
Nodoka I believe is her name, is she currently attached in any way?  
Did her family engage her like they did her brother?"  
  
"She isn't attached. . . although she just broke off a long standing  
relationship," Nabiki replied noting he gave her enough yen for two  
questions. "She has no outstanding engagements that I know of. . .  
but knowing her *Father* there might be one or two that haven't shown  
up yet."  
  
"She isn't similarly cursed as the Pigtailed. . as Ranma is?" Kuno  
passed another yen note.  
  
Nabiki took this one almost reluctantly before replying, "She  
doesn't have a curse. . . but she has been effected by magic  
recently. I don't think you have a chance there Kuno baby."  
  
Nothing continued between the two for several minutes before Nabiki  
finally realized something and felt stupid that it took her so long.  
Turning around she put a concerned face on, "I noticed you haven't  
asked where either Ranma or Akane is since this morning when Nodoka  
distracted you. . . something wrong?"  
  
"Akane Tendo. . ." Kuno started looking like he was about to return  
to his old self but then his eyes cleared. "I was only looking for  
her to. . to apologize. I know she held no affection for me and I  
kept pushing without seeing it. I suspect that since both she and  
Saotome are missing that they are off celebrating a wedding. . . or  
celebrating avoiding another wedding attempt by their fathers."  
  
Nabiki had to fight off a burst of laughter before giving the story  
that was worked out, "Ranma went back to China to find a cure for his  
curse and Daddy wouldn't let him go without taking Akane with him. .  
. to keep the girls off him. They convinced both Daddy and Uncle  
Saotome not to force them to marry before they left."  
  
"I see," Kuno said calmly as the next teacher came into the room and  
made it difficult to continue the discussion.  
  
- - - -  
  
"I'm telling you that Kuno's got a thing for you," Nabiki repeated  
to Nodoka as she sat down in the school cafeteria, a place neither  
Akane nor Ranma really like as it was too confining to fight in. "And  
he doesn't take 'no' well."  
  
"Stick boy not understand no at all," Shampoo added with a frown  
directed at the food she had bought out of curiosity about what the  
school served.  
  
"I'm sure you are both exaggerating. . . but Ranma, and Akane,  
warned me about him. I don't plan to lead him on," Nodoka said calmly  
as she opened her bento instead of getting any of the school food.  
  
"You don't have to, he'll lead himself on," Nabiki warned then  
frowned as she spotted the person in question walk into the  
cafeteria. "Although he's been acting a little more like a normal  
person today. . . and that is strange for him."  
  
"Nabiki Tendo, Xain Pu of the Joketsuzoku tribe, I would like to  
talk to Miss Saotome alone for a few minutes," Kuno stated as she  
came to the table. He didn't have his normal level of arrogance in  
voice and Nabiki really really wanted to know why.  
  
Nabiki gave Nodoka a questioning look then motioned to Shampoo when  
Nodoka nodded, "We'll be nearby if you need us."  
  
Shampoo picked up her tray and followed Nabiki to another table,  
"Did not know Stick boy knew Shampoo's name. . ."  
  
"And he said it right, including where you come from. I really need  
to know how," Nabiki's eyes furrowed as she started eating.  
  
"What do you want to talk about Kuno-sempai?" Nodoka asked finally  
acknowledging the older boy.  
  
Kuno sat down across from the girl that looked so much like the girl  
he cared for and set himself for what he had to say. Straightening he  
looked at Nodoka in all seriousness, "First I should apologize to  
your family, if your brother were here I would do it to him directly.  
It seems that everyone I have talked to seems to know about the  
curse, and his dislike of it, and I accused him of things that he had  
no control over."  
  
"That's very noble of you Kuno-sempai," Nodoka said slightly  
shocked. "To tell the truth I was warned about you and your  
obsessions. . . especially since I look so much like my so. . brother  
when he is in his cursed form, but I don't see what they are talking  
about."  
  
"You were not lied to Miss Saotome. . . I have until late suffered  
from a. . a curse of my own, a family curse that I have seen fit to  
finally deal with," Kuno looked unhappy about what he was explaining.  
"I'll never be completely free of it. . but it is manageable if I  
work at it."  
  
"But to other matters, your brother's curse form struck a cord in me  
that I still feel. . . and your so close visage. . ." Kuno dropped  
his head for a moment and rubbed his forehead before looking  
apologetically at Nodoka again. "I am sorry again, I am making a fool  
of myself in front of you again. What I wish to offer is my  
friendship, and then latter if matters permit maybe more."  
  
Nodoka was very shocked at this, it was a very tactful way to start  
a relationship and it was coming from someone who made Genma seem  
enlightened in matters regarding women, "That's. . that's very kind  
of you Kuno-sempai, but I'll need time to think about things."  
  
"I guess that is the best I can hope for at this time," Kuno stood  
and gave the girl a small bow before walking off.  
  
Nabiki and Shampoo moved back quickly having watched Kuno leave  
under his own power. Shampoo gave Nodoka an uncomfortable look,  
"Mother-in. . Nodoka have Stick boy bad."  
  
"I haven't seen him this rational since. . ." Nabiki started then  
threw her hands over her mouth when she remembered his last rational  
moments.  
  
"What is it dear? Since when?" Nodoka asked with the patience of a  
parent after giving Shampoo a nasty glare.  
  
"It was during our first year here. Kuno got hurt badly during a  
kendo match and had an. . episode in the hospital. The doctors gave  
him some medicine and he acted very sane for several days before it  
wore off," Nabiki explained looking very sad. "He was very charming  
at the time. . . He just wouldn't take the damn medicine afterwards,  
no matter how much he was asked too. He just couldn't accept he had a  
problem. . ."  
  
"So he's been slipped the medicine again?" Nodoka didn't sound too  
happy about the idea. "It'll mean he will flip back to his old self  
soon and he'll be as bad as I was warned he was. . . but with a  
fixation on me. . ."  
  
"I don't think anyone slipped it to him. He had a medical order  
issued after the last time that no drugs were to be used again, he  
claimed he wanted nothing but herbal remedies," Nabiki replied then  
seemed to think about something. After a moment she gave the group  
and annoyed look and simply said, "Sasuke!"  
  
"Yes, Miss Nabiki?" came a reply that caused Shampoo and Nodoka to  
jump slightly. Nabiki simply turned and looked at the small man. "Of  
what can I do for you?"  
  
"You can explain the 'new' Kuno," Nabiki requested severely crossing  
her arms, "and don't try to hide behind it being family business, I  
have a few photos you don't what your master seeing."  
  
Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the girl but chose to reply not sounding  
worried about the threat, "Master Kuno has chosen to start taking the  
medicine of his own free will."  
  
"Why?" Nabiki's eyes widened, Kuno wasn't like that as it meant that  
he wasn't perfect in his own eyes.  
  
"Master Kuno started taking the medicine after Mistress Kodachi was  
arrested during the break for attacking a fellow classmate," Sasuke  
sat down on the table after jumping up easily. "It was the only way  
she would agree to take her own prescribed medicine that she was  
ordered to by the courts.  
  
"Kodachi was arrested? I didn't know. . ." Nabiki couldn't believe  
she had missed something so big. . . especially since it pertained to  
her family.  
  
"Psycho girl go jail? Shampoo not know either," Shampoo blinked then  
smirked. "She no problem now."  
  
"Mistress Kodachi is not in jail! As long as she takes her  
medication she is allowed to stay at home," Sasuke corrected  
forcibly. "Although it has left her as not much more then a zombie  
when she is even awake. . ."  
  
"That is unfortunate to hear, she was such a. . . a spirited girl  
when I met her," Nodoka said trying to find the best word for things.  
  
- - - -  
  
Ranma, Akane, Nodoka, and Nabiki sat around the dinning table having  
gotten home a bit earlier and changed into regular clothing. The most  
that they could find in the house was some trays of snacks and a note  
saying to come to the Nekohanten for dinner later from Kasumi.  
  
"I can't believe Kuno was so controlled," Akane said as she finished  
her little bun. "He wasn't like that a week ago."  
  
"No but he was a little more controlled at the time," Ranma replied  
thankful that Kasumi had left individual trays and his had a lot more  
on it. "Last time he found a younger me he went overboard but a week  
ago he didn't get that bad."  
  
"I guess," Akane grudgingly agreed.  
  
"He offered me friendship until I was ready to date him," Nodoka bit  
into her meat bun with a bit of wonder as things seemed to taste  
better to her at this age.  
  
"You're not seriously thinking. . .!?!" Ranma exclaimed in wide eyed  
panic but he was cut off by his mother.  
  
"Ranma Kuno. . . has an odd ring to it," Nabiki joked and couldn't  
stop herself from laughing all the way to the ground at the nasty  
glare she received.   
  
"Ranma could not take the Kuno name as he is the only heir to the  
Saotome clan," Nodoka corrected trying not to smirk at the boggled  
look she received.  
  
"Great! Have your little fun, I'm going to go practice," Ranma  
stated as he suddenly bolted up and stormed out in anger.  
  
"What caused that?" Nodoka asked bewildered as she watched her son  
leave.  
  
"He's had a problem since Kuno declared his love for the 'Pigtailed  
girl'," Nabiki explained as she calmed herself down. "I think it hurt  
his manhood that the first person to tell him they loved him was  
another guy."  
  
"I see," Nodoka said quietly as she continued to look at the walkway  
that lead to the Dojo.  
  
- - - -  
  
Ranma finished his ninth kata still not calm. He hated Kuno, not in  
the holding a grudge 'prepare to die' way, but in the way that made  
him never to want to be willingly around the guy. Now the bastard was  
hitting on his now young mother. . . and there was nothing he could  
really do about it. He was too young to show up as himself so Kuno  
knew his advances on Ranma's 'sister' wasn't welcomed.  
  
"I see something's on your mind, what to talk about it?" Cologne  
cocked her head to one side at the boy as she stood in the doorway to  
the Dojo.  
  
"It's Kuno," Ranma said in distaste as he set up to do another kata.  
  
"I heard. Shampoo was quite vocal about it when she got to the  
restaurant. It seems as if the boy has finally gotten help for one of  
his problems," Cologne walked up beside Ranma and slowly started  
copying his moves.  
  
"Yeah right! Then why make a pass at my mother!?!" Ranma stopped  
with his fists clenched at his sides.  
  
"She looks like you, and you look incredible in either sex," Cologne  
gave him a small smile then she turned a little more serious. "He's  
just doing what a regular boy his age would do. . . and he was very  
tactful from what I hear, and that says a lot."  
  
"Yeah, I know. . . but I can't even tell him what I think of it!"  
Ranma replied in anger as he pointed out his younger features. "He  
isn't going to believe this, and if he did he'd just start causing  
trouble that neither me or Akane need at the new school."  
  
"Give the boy a chance, he might surprise both of us," Cologne  
stopped her own version of the kata Ranma was doing. "You could  
always phone him, your voice hasn't changed all that much."  
  
"Call him. . ." Ranma said in a distant sort of way then grinned. "I  
can keep my distance and still keep track of him. . . and let him  
know it."  
  
Cologne was slightly shocked when Ranma suddenly bolted out of the  
Dojo then shook it off as she should have expected it, "He really  
needs to learn patience."  
  
"Oh well," Cologne shrugged and walked towards the living room to  
gather up the girls to head to Nekohanten for dinner. 


End file.
